The Seattle Public Library board of trustees has selected Hoshide Williams Architects to design the renovations of the historically significant Queen Anne and University branches. The Library Board made its unanimous choice at its March 23 meeting.
An advisory panel that included Library staff, board trustees and community members recommended Hoshide Williams Architects to the board. Eleven firms applied for the Queen Anne Branch renovation and 12 firms expressed interest in the University Branch job. The panel reviewed proposals and interviewed four firms before making its recommendation.
Linda Larson and Gilbert W. Anderson, the two Library Board trustees who served on the panel, said they were impressed with the firm’s careful, thorough approach to its work. Anderson is the steward for the Queen Anne Branch and Larson is the steward for the University Branch.
Hoshide Williams Architects, which was founded in 1984, designed the renovation of the Fremont Branch, which will reopen at noon Saturday, April 16. It also designed the renovations of the historic St. Joseph’s School Library in Seattle and the CRC/Odegaard Undergraduate Library and the Health Sciences Library for the University of Washington. It also was a consultant on the 1993 facilities master plan for The Seattle Public Library.
The community representatives who served on the advisory panel were:
Queen Anne and University District residents attended public receptions on Feb. 7 and Feb. 8, respectively, to meet representatives from Hoshide Williams Architects, along with architects from the three other finalist firms, Koppe/Wagoner Architects, Schreiber & Lane Architects and Via Suzuki Architecture. The architects displayed samples of their work and answered questions.
The branches were funded by wealthy philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The University Branch opened in 1910 and the Queen Anne Branch opened in 1914. Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and were designated landmark buildings by Seattle’s Landmarks Preservation Board. The Library will work with the landmarks board to preserve the architectural character of the branches.
The renovations, which are expected to be complete in 2007, will include new seating, improved ventilation, more electrical, communications and computer connections, upgraded technology services and equipment, a more efficient interior layout, and an updated collection. An elevator also will be installed in the University Branch. The budget for the Queen Anne Branch renovation is $550,622; at the University Branch, it is $791,950.
The projects are part of the $196.4 million “Libraries for All” bond measure, which voters approved in 1998. The bond money, which can be used only for construction of libraries, is funding new and improved branches, in addition to the new Central Library.
To date, the Library has completed the new Central Library and the Beacon Hill, Capitol Hill, Columbia, Delridge, Green Lake, Greenwood, High Point, NewHolly, North East, Rainier Beach, Wallingford and West Seattle branches. The Fremont Branch opens at noon Saturday, April 16. Many other branches are in the planning, design or construction phase.
The Seattle Public Library Foundation continues to raise funds from private sources to enhance the public bond commitment and keep pace with the demands of patrons for a high level of library service. Every dollar raised will ensure a level of excellence in the Library’s facilities, collections, and programs that would not be possible through its tax-based support alone.
For more information about “Libraries for All” or the Foundation, visit the Library’s Web site at www.spl.org.
(For more information, call Caroline Young Ullmann, assistant communications director, 206-615-1627.)
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Content modified: 29 March 2005
12/30/2005
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